


"It'll be awright"

by VeloxVoid



Category: New Horizons - Fandom, どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Heartwarming, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Moving On, Starting Over, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeloxVoid/pseuds/VeloxVoid
Summary: Kicks is travelling, but cannot stop a feeling of inadequacy from swirling within him. Moving to a new island to expand his shop is all well and good, but his insecurities from his past muddy his view of the beautiful new island.Luckily, things go his way. A happy customer and welcoming hosts help to make Kicks feel right at home.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	"It'll be awright"

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was created for "New Horizines" — an Animal Crossing New Horizons-centred zine! If you'd like to check it out and get updates on potential leftover sales, you can do so: [here!](https://twitter.com/ACNHZine)
> 
> I'm [VeloxVoid](https://twitter.com/VeloxVoid) on Twitter if you'd like to follow me for more! :)
> 
> There is some truly beautiful art as part of this story, made by the wonderful [Munppence](https://twitter.com/munppence/status/1340620091503697921) on Twitter! I cannot be more happy to have worked with them and their incredible skills, and am so honoured they created a piece for this fic!

Kicks held his hat in close to his body, grasping it between his paws as he often did when he was nervous.

He’d never flown before. Granted, this plane was small, and its pilot was friendly, but looking out of the window at the world far below still made his stomach feel a little queasy. The ocean stretched around them for miles; its boundless blue matched the colour of the midday sky, while small, choppy waves kicked up white foam to look like sparse little clouds. The sea and the sky blending into one another was enough to make Kicks feel small, and insignificant, and out of place.

A sight appearing over the horizon snapped him from his daydream. It was a silhouette, black against the azure landscape, so far away but unmistakably a landmass. _His destination._ Kicks was not soothed at all, and squeezed his eyes shut, almost begging to escape the situation.

Perhaps it wasn’t a fear of flying that was kicking butterflies up in his stomach — perhaps it was nerves. The young skunk swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and tried to quell the sickness he felt rising.

Why did this always happen? Sitting upon the steps of an abandoned building in the big city had not been nerve-wracking to him at all; Kicks had merely hoped to make enough bells for his next meal. Perhaps it was because that first job had been so humble, but when he’d finally been recognised by the mayor of the next town over and asked to open a shop on their Main Street, he had transformed from a chipper young skunk into an anxious mess.

Now he was taking that business to an island. Kicks knew not how he’d gotten into this situation, nor why he deserved it _—_ the villagers in his last hometown had been so _nice_ to him, and he didn’t know why _—_ but it was happening. The island grew closer by the second, with visible treetops reaching up towards the sapphire sky, and soon he would need to face his fears _—_ push away his inadequacies.

He held his hat up to his face, taking a deep breath of the comforting scent as he had so many times before. The plane jolted, bouncing along the water before slowly coming to a halt. The engine whirred beneath him and stopped.

 _Silence_. His heart pounded in his ears.

“Alright, kid.” The pilot _—_ a rugged but polite dodo _—_ turned to face him. “Here we are.”

Kicks nodded. He placed his hat back on his head, took a deep breath, and grasped his bag in an anxious grip.

 _It’ll be awright,_ he assured himself before he followed the pilot from the plane.

The airport was quaint, with soft music playing through the speakers overhead. Strangely enough, it was empty; whilst discussing with Mr. Nook, Kicks had been told he’d arrive at a newly-inhabited island bustling with life, but the brightly-lit room he padded softly through now was so quiet it almost made him uneasy.

Mr. Nook’s words echoed through his mind: “We’ll set you up in the plaza, just outside Resident Services, hm?”

Approaching the reception and the dodo behind it, Kicks intended to find Mr. Nook. “‘S’cuse me…?” he asked them through a wavering voice, suddenly conscious of how thick his accent was. “Which way to Resident Services?”

The dodo placed down a mug, beamed a smile, and began to explain.

* * *

Once outside, setting foot on the island for the first time, the sun beat down ruthlessly upon Kicks’ head, seeming to set his dark fur ablaze with its heat. Summer was at its peak, and while wisps of clouds floated gently upon the slight breeze that rustled through the trees around him, they did nothing to shield him from the burning beams.

“ _Blimey…_ ” he heard himself mutter, removing his hat once more to waft wind through his monochrome fuzz. Dashing towards the closest tree _—_ one that stood by the airport’s small wooden pier _—_ Kicks allowed himself to bask in the cool of the shade and get his bearings.

Now that he looked at it, the island was beautiful. Its grass was bright and healthy, a fierce shade of emerald despite the splashes of colour the flowers brought to it. Red, orange, and yellow tulips swayed slightly in the breeze, their warm hues reminding Kicks of the fire that burned in the sky above. The green of the grass was interrupted by a blanket of bright blue; a river, reflecting the sun’s glow with shimmering white ripples, meandered slowly a few feet away, and beyond it Kicks could see more trees like the one he stood under, some of them bearing plump pink peaches.

The only break in the beautiful nature around him was a building. The kind dodo at the reception had been right; Resident Services was not far away, and seemed to be the tall brown structure just visible beyond the river. It sat nestled into a cliffside as the only building in view amidst this fascinating landscape.

Perhaps _this_ was what Mr. Nook meant when he’d spoken of “bustling life” upon the island. As Kicks continued to stare, wide-eyed, at the glorious surroundings, he became aware that he was alone. Not a single other person _—_ nor even any other building _—_ was in sight. Butterflies and bees became caught on the breezes and drifted delicately through the air before him, but the dodos had been the only other signs of animal life. Bustling with society, this island was not. But bustling with life _—_ with nature? It was abundant.

Ready to brave the sun once more, Kicks tightened his hold upon his briefcase and began to walk. A battered-looking bridge in the form of logs fastened together with weathered hempen rope paved a path across the river, and Kicks took delicate steps across it, cautious of its lack of railings. Just as he thanked himself for the strong grip he’d given the soles of his boots _—_ hopefully they’d save him from taking a dip if he lost his footing _—_ a small shadow at his side made him glance down. In the water beneath him, a fish swam hurriedly against the current; its silvery scales glinted beneath the sun, making the little creature look forged from the precious metal. Was everything here so beautiful?

“Awright there, chum?” Kicks giggled to himself as he looked at the struggling fish, but felt a warmth rise to his cheeks immediately after. Now was not the time to be talking to the wildlife. He straightened himself, checking he was alone after the slight embarrassment, and continued walking.

Weaving between peach trees and nearing the Resident Services, Kicks felt his brow furrow as he spotted something already sitting upon the dusty-looking bricks, unattended. He picked up his pace, hearing his boots rustle the short, prickly grass beneath him with each step, until he could make out the objects. A large umbrella had been opened over a couple of small tables, perched atop a beaten-looking green rug.

Kicks approached them, and felt a small smile curl the corners of his lips; he realised they must have been laid out for him. Perhaps it was childish to be excited at such a gesture. Just as he stopped walking, standing upon the scratchy-looking fibres of the rug, he noticed that a small card had been propped up against the pole of the umbrella. Peering closer, Kicks read the flowing cursive handwriting:

_Welcome, Mr. Kicks~!_

_Please come and meet us inside Resident Services._

_We look forward to working with you!_

_Tom Nook and Isabelle~_

He could not keep a grin off of his face _—_ one that wavered pathetically as his eyes welled up with tears. He was being welcomed. They wanted him here, and they were incredibly nice by the looks of the note. Given his upbringing _—_ shining shoes for a living in the city centre _—_ even small gestures of kindness meant the world to the young skunk. He sniffled slightly, both humbled and honoured to have been invited here with his self-made business, and wiped away tears. Was he more happy or relieved?

In an attempt to compose himself, he set his briefcase down upon the larger of the two tables and began to make himself busy. Work had always taken his mind off of things, yet even as he pulled pairs of shoes and socks from his bag and placed them neatly upon the tables, his mind still whirred.

He was _wanted_ on this island. Granted, he hadn't sold anything yet _—_ hadn't even met anybody who could be a potential buyer _—_ but the sentiment of Mr. Nook and Isabelle's note was enough to make a happiness wash over him, feeling as refreshing as a crisp breeze in this summer's day heat.

Kicks placed the last of his wares upon the table _—_ one of his hand-crafted pleather bags _—_ and nodded at the display. It was nice enough, but perhaps the slightest rearrangement could make it look even better.

“Excuse me?” 

A voice sounding from behind Kicks gave him a start, and he turned to see somebody behind him. A person _—_ a _human_ _—_ dressed in black.

“W-welcome, chum!” Kicks said to them, suddenly a little nervous again. “My apologies, I’m not quite set up yet!”

“No worries,” they said in response, but pointed to the shoes in Kicks’ hands. “I was just wondering if those are for sale.”

“Oh!” He failed to keep surprise off of his face, glancing down to the shoes he held, their scarlet material brightly polished and reflecting the sun. He was acting on instinct, selling his wares how he had so many times in his old Main Street store despite his nerves. “Uh, of course! The red power boots… come to 3,150 bells. Is that… awright?”

“That’s definitely alright!” the person said, and pulled a small sack of bells out of their pockets. Kicks handed them the boots already in his hands, and they gave him their thanks. “I look forward to seeing you around!” they said as they waved goodbye.

“Thanks, chum!” Kicks gave back. Inside his chest, his heart sang. He hadn’t even finished setting up his stall before he’d had a satisfied customer! One worry that had surfaced upon his journey here was that his makeshift stall would flop: nobody would be interested, and they would look down upon him. Apparently he could not have been more wrong. As he watched his customer walk away, he noticed them stop beneath the shade of a peach tree to change into their new boots. Kicks smiled wide.

“Well, no need to rearrange them anymore,” he muttered to himself, looking upon his stall once more. His shoes and socks were displayed nicely, boxes orderly, and his bags looked dashing at the pride of place. It was then, however, that his eyes fell upon the slip of card.

The note he’d been left. In all of his merriment, Kicks had forgotten about the request written upon it in the captivating script:

_Please come and meet us inside Resident Services._

“Aw, shucks!” Kicks exclaimed aloud. Almost knocking over the tables in his haste to rush into the building, he felt the need to thank Isabelle and Mr. Nook as soon as possible.

His chest swelled with happiness; Kicks felt welcome in these new horizons.


End file.
